Upon hearing the horrible news of the occurrences in Japan, people around the world offered their condolences and support to the country. With foundations raising money, people going overseas to clean up, and in many other ways, the United States is just one of the countries helping ease the pain of the Japanese people.

   Neuqua Valley has also distinguished itself in helping add to the efforts towards Japan Throughout the past few weeks, small jars have been passed around the school to collect money and have really added up to something great.

   The Social Studies department has raised over 2,114 dollars by collecting money and is still expecting more. Student Council has also made over 2,000 dollars by selling bracelets for Japan Relief.

   The money raised by Neuqua was collected by a program called JAR. (Japan Aid and Relief). This was created by the Neuqua faculty to put money towards funds that help earthquake survivors, by making sure that they are safe and taken care of.

   The donations made by the JAR fund will be given to two major organizations that are helping in Japan. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has experience in helping children around the world recover from disasters and Neuqua is ensuring that through their donations, many lives can be saved.

   Also, the American Red Cross is collecting money for the affected areas by the tsunami and the earthquake throughout the Pacific. The contributions given by Neuqua will help prepare for and serve victims of the catastrophe.

   Together, the efforts put forward by the faculty and students have made a difference in the lives of Japanese people forever. If the opportunity to donate to JAR has been missed, there is always an opportunity to do your part. There are websites for both UNICEF and the American Red Cross to make personal donations. Don’t miss out on your chance to give hope to the people affected by this enormous tragedy.

 Meghana Sharma, Neuqua Media Editor

   All classes approached the race with the promise of an after-party at Nike town and free transportation to and from the race. However, the class that had the most number of people cross the finish line would be able to pick an extravagant prize, promised by Nike to be beyond their wildest imaginations.

   The victorious class would meet with Nike to make this prize come to life, and voting took place on Facebook as the classes dreamt up numerous possibilities. The top choices for each class were a custom  Nike lounge for Freshman, a custom Nike t-shirt for Sophomores, a senior Fall kickoff for Juniors and either a different venue or a guest artist for prom for Seniors.

   In congruence with the promised grandeur of their prizes, a huge number of  Neuqua students signed up for the race, the junior and senior classes having the most number of those registered, and the competition was extremely steep as the classes went head to head in the race, each running to their wits’ end for ultimate victory.

   In the end the junior class upset the senior class in an extremely narrow victory, with fifty-nine juniors crossing the finish line to the fifty-seven seniors. The juniors that crossed the finish line met with Nike two weeks ago to hear base information for the prize possibilities

   “Nike is told us they were giving us around a five thousand dollar budget, and we were favoring a Senior Fall Kickoff, which would be a huge party on the football field with a DJ, food and other fun things, or a lounge with the possibility of a Playstation 3, nice couches and pictures from the race,” said junior Katie Karas, “and said that overall they just wanted the kids to be happy with the prize.”

   The prize was chosen a few short days later, and the juniors will be receiving…

   With the reality of such large prizes rewarding this race, many underclassmen look forward to participating, and winning this race next year. “Having won the race once, the juniors are really excited to be in the race next year and win again, getting a prize even better than we got this year to really top off our senior year,” said Karas.

   This race was a great way to rile up student spirit and enthusiasm, as well as to reward Neuqua lavishly, and will continue to be a monumental piece of Neuqua legacy, from its start this year to its continuation in following years.

Ella Duagkaew, Staff Writer

     Currently no changes are planned. However, the situation is similar to the old story of The Farmer and The Mule where one day the farmer’s mule stopped in the middle of the road according to Assistant Principal Dr. Kolkman.  

    The farmer, who wanted the mule to continue moving, would not comply. At first, he offered a carrot to the mule to give him incentive to move. The mule would still not move after the various efforts provided by the farmer. After being fed up, the farmer took out a baseball bat threatening to hit the mule if he did not continue down the road.  The farmer’s neighbor saw the incident and yelled for the farmer to not hurt his animal. Finally, after threatening to hurt the mule, the mule moved and continued on the path.  The farmer then revealed to the neighbor that it was not actually going to hurt the mule, but gave it the incentive the mule needed to follow his command.
    If Neuqua students start desecrating the Gazebo area, then Neuqua could ban the area like before. For now, it remains open during all option periods.

  Matt Paras, Staff Writer

   The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program allows students to pursue college-level studies while they are in high school. As our District 204 Superintendent Kathy Birkett stated, “Our high schools have worked hard to encourage all students, particularly our minority students, to take AP classes. It ties directly to our board’s goals of narrowing the achievement gap and increasing the number of students exceeding state standards. This recognition, coupled with our increasing ACT scores, reflects the quality education students receive in District 204.”

   When asked about how Neuqua has begot an extraordinary Advanced Placement Program, Dr. McBride explained how Neuqua teachers have bumped students in college preparatory classes who maintain A’s to Advanced Placement classes in order to challenge them. The main reason students are successful in Advanced Placements classes is due directly to the wonderful Advanced Placements teachers who fuel their students’ intellectual growth. Dr. McBride’s only concern is that although he is “very proud of the growth we’ve had” and how “we’ve encouraged and we’ve had success with students who have not traditionally been in advanced placements classes,” he doesn’t want the message to be that students who have Advanced Placement classes are more valuable than college preparatory students. Although there is a careful balance that must be maintained, the Advanced Placement Program continues to grow and develop, as the College Board recognized.

Megan Wisniewski, Staff Writer

The game is played in a field similar to that of a football field. The purpose of the game is to score points by throwing the frisbee to teammates so it reaches the “end zones” or goal scoring areas. A rule in the game that makes it challenging is the fact that once a player receives the frisbee, he or she cannot move. Because of this, teammates are constantly running to get open.

Not many people are aware of the game and why it attracts so many people. “I joined because of the environment. Also, you can be on a team that is not competitive, but you can also be in A or B team to be more competitive” says Brandon McClintock, a sophomore who is on the Ultimate Frisbee team. Players on the team describe it as fun and say that although there are many people, everyone is like family.

“I decided to invest time in organizing this team because I have always loved and had a passion for ultimate” states head coach Javaherian. “The only bad part that I can really think about is the money issue. We have to raise all the money for our program by ourselves.” This year, students sold coupons to raise money for the program.

McClintock believes “ultimate is awesome because everyone there has a good time…if anyone wanted to join I would encourage them because we would all welcome them in like family.”  Ultimate Frisbee is for everyone regardless of ability level in sports and is an enjoyable experience for students and coaches alike.

Sruthi Raman, Staff Writer

Meghana Sharma, Neuqua Media Editor

    This action, meant only to prevent hurt feelings on the part of some students and staff, turned into a large, very public court case after the student who was asked to cover the message sued District 204. The case, Zamecnik v. Indian Prairie School District #204, finally came to a close last month, with the court’s siding in favor of the student, Zamecnik. While most recently in the appeals court the Zamecnik family won against District 204, this case has been through the court system 4 previous times as well. The first three times were in favor of the District, while the two latest times were in favor of the Zamecnik’s.

   The jury’s verdict protects the first amendment, freedom of speech for the student, a verdict which has been called into question by many. “While I believe the court did a good job of defending their point, I also believe that schools are special places and students need to be protected,” replied Mr. Flanders, a history teacher who has been in the district for more than thirty years and was a teacher at Neuqua when the incident occurred.

Flanders is not the only person at Neuqua who shares this view. When interviewed, out of 80 Neuqua Students, 38 or 47.5% agreed with the court’s decision and its protection of the first amendment, while 42 students or 52.5% believed the court was in the wrong, as they argued that the shirt’s message was a very personal attack on a certain group of individuals.

   Mr. Wells, the dean who asked the student to change the message on her shirt, did it for the sake of the girl’s fellow students. “I asked her to change the message on her shirt not necessarily because I disagreed with her views, but because in a public school environment, which with so many young people will be teeming with differentiating viewpoints, we must speak for our own beliefs rather than against someone else’s,” stated Dean Wells.

   While Zamecnik v. Indian Prairie School District #204 is yet another win in favor of the first amendment, however a growing number of individuals feel that high schools and the real world are very different places; students should have the ability to express their views, but at the same time public schools should set an environment of respect in light of colliding views.

Caroline O’Reilly, Staff Writer

   Considering that about nine percent of the students that are enrolled in an academic school year for the district are from low income families, the district did not hesitate to launch a program that caters to the academic enhancement of such students.

   Since 2003, there was an evident increase in standardized test scores due to the district’s ability to finance such programs of academic enhancement. On the contrary, in 2008, the distract came to a conclusion that this decline in test scores, specifically in the reading section, was due to the significant budget cuts that seemed to be detrimental to the prosperity of the learning of a large variety of students.

   The state response to such a problem was to establish a program that would benefit these students to ultimately work towards improving test scores all around. Participation in these state programs have also significantly decreased during the past two year s from about three hundred students to fewer than eighty students.

   Recently, Bank of America has provided District 204 specifically with a $25,000 grant in order to establish some sort of program to increase the reading comprehension as well as mathematics sub-scores on state standardized test exams. Programs like this, established from generous grants received from organizations, cater specifically towards low income families and hope to achieve a positive score increase throughout the next two years.

   These grant funded programs aim towards getting students that are currently below the state benchmark for standardized test scores, within the district, to enhance skills and rejuvenate levels of academic enrichment. This way, students are offered a free way to increase comprehension as well as critical thinking skills at an early age.

   A multitude of teachers as well as academic professionals feel that the development of such skills should be at an early age in order to promote academic growth in the future. The vitality to sponsor and fund programs to increase test scores is an absolute necessity for the prosperity and growth of the students of the nation.

Shamil Shafi, News Editor

   This year, no new contracts for teachers or any public workers have been formed in Wisconsin due to an unexpected announcement. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has just recently stated that  he intends to essentially take away union’s collective bargaining rights, in an effort to help the state from falling deeper into debt.

   New Jersey Governor Chris Christie agreed with Walker’s decision stating to ABC News, “We have built a system… that cares more about the feelings of adults than the future of children. Tell me where else is there a profession with no reward for excellence and no penalty for failure?”

   President Obama, on the other hand, replied saying to Channel 4 Milwaukee TV News, “I think it’s very important for us to understand that public employees, they’re our neighbors, they’re our friends… they make a lot of sacrifices, and make a big contribution, and I think it’s important not to vilify them, or to suggest that somehow all these budget problems are due to public employees.”

   The unexpected timing of this new law that Walker is attempting to enforce shocked many public workers. The change would affect everyone paid by the government, except for firemen and policemen. However, in the news this decision has ultimately been focused around on how it will affect teachers.

   Without union bargaining rights, Walker is basically removing tenure for teachers. If schools felt like a teacher was not doing a good job teaching them, then they could fire them without consent necessary. As of now, firing a tenured teacher is an incredibly difficult process that not many schools attempt to defeat due to the series of steps it involves.

   The decision has left schools closed, teachers protesting, and caused the democrats of Wisconsin to run away to Illinois to avoid voting on the proposal. Although this proposal could be helpful in keeping the state from being broke, it is also very drastic and has left many unsettled and worried about their rights.

Gretchen Andsager, Photo Editor

   Neuqua Valley was chosen as the place to host this competition because there were about 500 people expected to attend. The bleachers were full of parents, teachers, and curious students who came during their lunch period; while the pool deck seemed to have a very generous amount of volunteers. Also, the auxiliary gym was packed with people who were either tending to the athletes, or recording official scores.

   Volunteers walked around in T-shirts that read, “Power of Sports”, performing endless tasks to ensure that all the athletes and their families enjoyed a carefree day of competition. Volunteers were recruited through many Neuqua Valley programs such as Peer Partners, BPA, Student Council, PE Leaders, and Swim Team.

   The Gold medal winners from this meet will move on to the State finals, to be held at ISU this summer.

Brian Benjamin, Staffwriter

   A great deal of controversy has stirred due to the motives behind the mandated period of reflection as well as its intention overall. This controversy has been heard by the state and as a result, has sparked numerous debates within Illinois Court of Appeals.    

   Although students are not being forced to spend this 15 second reflection period doing anything in particular, various students feel that this act calls for a mandatory time for prayer directly before the pledge of allegiance.

   While some students do use this period for prayer, others use this time to quickly reflect on their day or anything on their mind. Within the passed law, nowhere does it state that a student is required to perform an act of prayer before the pledge. Therefore, based on this logic, the law was passed by 7^th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals during late January.

   A multitude of students within Neuqua Valley feel that this period of 15 seconds is not a disruption to the daily schedule and therefore, feel that the moment of silence law should remain intact to give those students who need this time for reflection an opportunity. Some students argue that the moment of silence law allows for students to prepare for their day while opponents of the law argue that the law, in fact, does disrupt the classroom.

   As of now, the moment of silence will be given daily to every student within the building and will remain intact directly after the pledge of allegiance during the beginning of second period. The districts as well as the state hope that this short period of silence proves to be worthy and helps the student body plan and reflect on what is to come.   

Shamil Shafi, News Editor

   As a high school student, getting a driver’s license is something everyone looks forward to once they turn sixteen. No one wants to wait longer than they have to. For teen’s that have busy schedules involving many extracurricular activities, they now have the option to take the required course of driving school without having to wait because of their hectic schedules after their school day.   

   This is one of the many positive changes made in the classes offered at the school.  However, for driving schools such as Excel and Ed’s this opportunity may cause a decrease in business or even a total loss of business. During the school year many students do not have the time to take the class so they wait until the summer to sign up.

   Now that they have the option to take the course in school, they will not have to wait all year to sign up at one of many driving schools in Naperville. Fewer people will sign up for the driving school classes because it is more convenient for them to take it at their high school.

Of course students from previous years are very jealous of this change, because they were never offered the class when they were at the campus.  For Sophomore Kelsey Hynes, even getting her permit was hard because she was busy throughout her Freshman year and all summer before the new school year.

   She took the class in the fall of 2010, and now has to wait 9 months to get her license even though she is now sixteen.  “I wish this class was offered when I was at the Freshman campus last year. I would have been able to get my driver’s license on my birthday but now I have to wait until the summer” said Kelsey.  The class is taught by Wayne  Hartmann and it is offered to all Freshman students, and is now in session.

 Emily Evans, Staffwriter

   One of these companies is Commonwealth Edison. In their pursuit to be more energy efficient, they have urged communities to create energy reduction as well as efficiency plans that can be implemented within a reasonable amount of time. The level of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere is escalating and action needs to be taken. Students at Neuqua Valley have the opportunity to make a difference in competing in the Com Ed challenge.

   Led by Mrs. Noblett, students will collaborate in small groups to create plans that will alleviate the environmental condition. Whether it is working on energy efficient solar panels or devising a plan that will allow wind power to be harnessed in an efficient manner, the students’ creativity and improvisation skills will be challenged. They will experience what engineers have to go through to find practical and plausible solutions. This challenge will allow them to grow as thinkers and give them freedom to concoct implementable plans that will benefit our environment.

   These students will help ensure a better tomorrow, and as our reliance on fossil fuels increases, we need dedicated thinkers to create plans that will harness cleaner sources of energy. This generation has the power to alter the course of history and will be led by these motivated students. The prosperous future can only be attained by having a committed generation and in order to ensure the safety of our species, other species of animals, and other species of plants, we must act now. It starts with students at Neuqua Valley rising to the occasion and collaborating with each other to find solutions to the problems that we are plagued with.

Dan Thompson, Staffwriter

   For their spring trip, the outdoor club is planning their annual spring whitewater rafting trip to the National Forests of Northern Wisconsin, about an hour northwest from Green Bay. Snow melt and rain in springs increases the level of the rafts in order to add a stimulating element to the whitewater rafting, in fact in previous years many people have been thrown from their rafts.

   This trip is not for the lighthearted. The trip will take place on one of the wildest rivers, capable of a 55 foot high ropes course, either class three or four rapids – ensuring fun for all in attendance. The actual whitewater rafting takes place on Saturday, split into two groups each group both whitewater rafts and high ropes with one in the morning and the next in the afternoon.

   Everyone gets together for lunch, and there is even a sand volleyball court for physical activities. Saturday night there is a campfire for talking, eating, and s’mores. All of the cooking is homemade, barbeque styled food done outside at the same eating pavilion where the whitewater rafters eat.

Each year about thirty five people go on the whitewater rafting trip, many come back three years in a row if not all four years. Leadership, teamwork, and learning opportunities characterize the trip where you will learn to give and take orders as well as delegate in order to successfully travel the whitewater rapids. Consider going on the whitewater rafting trip rather than spending the weekend at home.

   The trip is from Friday April 29, 2011 through Sunday May 1, 2011. Those who plan on attending will leave Friday after school and return late Sunday afternoon. Depending on how many people go, the trip will cost approximately $200-$240 which includes two nights lodging, most meals, all equipment, transportation on a deluxe coach bus and energy filled experiences.

Megan Wisniewski, Staffwriter

   “The academy’s purpose is to promote [the use of] scientific and mathematical concepts to real life situations in order to figure out solutions for global dilemmas,” said Picchi. The academy was open to children of current employees of the Honeywell company from all over the globe including France, Czech Republic, China, and India. The participants are put through an intense engineering curriculum designed to test their teamwork ability and inspire scientific interest at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama which is also associated with NASA.

   To be chosen, Picchi had to have above average grades in both math and science and also had to submit to original essays about what she expected to gain from the opportunity. Needless to say, both of these qualifications hit home with the selection committee.

   “I’m super excited! I’m particularly excited about working with people I have never met and have come from all over the world,” Picchi explained.

   Picchi leaves  February 26, and returns March 4, from the experience. Congratulations and best of luck to Picchi on this experience of a lifetime.

Hong-Ah Do, Editor-In-Chief

   Today we complain no more. We are the consumers therefore we possess the money, and its money that makes the world go ‘round, as much as we’d like to pretend otherwise. If we buy it, they make it. Well here is some news: if we stop buying it, the massive corporations and big businesses that are the major source of our current environmental and economic turmoil, stop making it.

   These companies are harming the farmers, the small business, and even our own families. What we need to do as consumers is educate ourselves and in turn our neighbors, so that we can take a firmer hold upon the market, and in turn the world we live in. by purchasing the products of the big businesses we so often complain out, we’re basically giving them our approval and furthering their harmful practices.

   To stop them, we must stop buying. We are the consumers and at the end of the day, we hold the key, well the money, which controls our world. 

Caroline O’Reilly, Staffwriter

   If more Willie videos are to follow, it is unknown when they will appear. Spirit week featured multiple videos, but there has not been one since December. The video featured was a holiday video, but Willie has been absent in his school spirit. The media production teacher, Mr. Macchia spilled the beans on what’s happening with Willie.

   “Willie will make an appearance in some additional videos later in the year“ he explained. “He’s coming back soon. I know that’s vague, but there will be new videos.” 
     

   With Willie coming back in the future, students will now have something to look forward to in their day. If he does not come through, it could be the students who are shouting “STUDENTS MAD” instead of “WILLIE MAD!”

Matt Paras, Staff Writer

   The Mash is run and distributed by the Tribune, but its stories are reported by high school students from the Chicagoland area. Working closely with actual Tribune journalists, these students are given the opportunity to explore journalism outside of just their school. Plus, they get paid for each story they do. Once a month, students meet at Tribune Tower in Chicago to discuss story ideas and decide which stories are published in the issue at hand, much like a real newspaper. The stories do touch current events at hand, but still hold true to relating back to its younger audience. The connections the Tribune already have make up a big part of what these student journalists can accomplish. From interviews with specialists across the nation to chances such as interviewing actors and musicians, the opportunities are endless. One student interviewed Michael Cera while another found herself interviewing TI.

   Currently, Neuqua already has three students involved with the unique experience: seniors Hong-Ah Do and Allyssa Pollard and newly-hired sophomore, Sruthi Raman.

   The Mash is always looking for new student reporters as well as students to promote the publication. Along with this, the Mash also provides high schoolers who are not a part of the publication to have their say through different events that can be found on their Facebook page.

Hong-Ah Do, Editor-In-Chief

   The introduction of Wi-Fi means a change in the electronic device policy. This policy is in place, not because the school doesn’t want us using technology, but because of the increased theft that comes when students bring valuable items to school. “Although Neuqua is a very safe campus,” said Assistant Principal Lance Fuhrer, “There is a very small amount of students who have trouble resisting temptation.” But now that there is Wi-Fi, Mr. Fuhrer admits that the school needs to evolve with technology. “It used to be that if you had a beeper, everyone thought you were a drug dealer. Now, everyone is walking around with far more advanced technology.”

   The school administration believes it is time to rethink our electronic device policy, and find a way to take advantage of the opportunities presented by technology, while keeping theft at bay. Contrary to popular belief, the school is not against using phones or electronic devices in the classroom as long as they have academic purpose. “The electronic device policy has always been governed by academics,” Mr. Fuhrer said, citing Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois as an example of how technology can be used to benefit the classroom. Stevenson is an apple-partner school, which means they receive free technology from Apple Computer, Inc.  Recently, the school received six class sets of Itouches to be used for research and classroom aid. With so many academic applications available, the Itouch is a valuable learning tool and an example of how electronic devices can be used to advance the learning experience of nearly 4,000 students.

   Mr. Fuhrer expressed his hope that Neuqua would one day be as technology-driven as Stevenson, saying “People need to respect the evolution.” Many students own Ipads and as more companies rush to create their own version of the Ipad, soon many more students will. The benefits to using these devices are numerous, including cost-efficient and environmentally-friendly ebooks instead of textbooks. “Textbooks can cost $40, whereas an electronic book would only cost $9,” Mr. Fuhrer pointed out.

priority in creating a new electronic device policy for these new technologies will be to “keep kids safe, keep the campus secure, and inspire students to use technology in a productive manner” according to Mr. Fuhrer.

   “One thing we have to ask is: how much access are we ready to provide students in an open forum. We recognize students are technologically savvy, “said Mr. Fuhrer, referring to the wide use of student proxies to access popular sites like Facebook and Youtube. A more lenient electronic device policy would most likely mean more students would take advantage of non-academic uses of the internet.

   Specifically, the school will be revising the laptop policy. Although students have always been discouraged from bringing laptops to school, the arrival of Wi-Fi introduces a wealth of opportunities to students. Student responses to this possibility are mixed however. Freshman Austin Green said “If I had my laptop I would do more and pay attention more. It is hard to take notes and not get distracted, I would learn more if I had my laptop.” Other students said it would only distract them and they would just end up on Facebook.

Molly Leger, Editor-In-Chief

   This year, juniors Kyle Uber and Nick Parker, ran against students from several different high schools in Illinois and were elected to be state representatives for the BPA organization. State representatives are responsible for organizing different events across the state in attempts to keep each BPA chapter focused and on par for the national leadership conference held in Washington D.C.

   Kyle Uber, elected Vice President of Special Recognition, has been put in charge of maintaining the active nature of BPA chapters as well as focusing on chapter participation in community service programs sponsored by the organization. Nick Parker, elected Treasurer, has been put in charge of finances regarding the Illinois state chapter of BPA.

   These students are also responsible for managing the regional and state conferences for which BPA chapters send students to compete against one another in respective events ranging from information technology to finance. In order to get elected as part of the leadership team, students must present a prepared speech to a panel of judges as well as take a multiple choice exam that covers various business related topics such as banking and finance as well as business management.

   Immediately after the initial running phase, the students have their multiple choice exams scores weighted as well as added to the score of the speeches presented to the judges. The top six contenders are then selected to be a part of the BPA state leadership team as state representatives of the organization. 

   As of now, both students are dedicated towards further developing the organization within the state of Illinois and have been working hard at the tasks provided to them.

Shamil Shafi, News Editor